The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for removing polyps from the inner lining of an internal cavity, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for engaging and removing polyps from the large intestine or colon.
Polyps are fleshy growths that form on an inner lining of an internal cavity, such as the stomach, uterus, urinary tract, esophagus, colon, etc. Colon polyps are the most common and the most dangerous. This is largely due to the fact that approximately 75% of all colon polyps are cancerous polyps, also known as adenomas. Further, as colon polyps grow larger, the chance of colon cancer increases. Because colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related death in the United States, most medical professionals recommend the removal of any colon polyp.
As late as the mid 1960's, removing colon polyps required entering the colon by cutting through the abdomen wall. Such major surgery had numerous possible complications and a long recovery time. Colonoscopic polypectomy, an endoscopic procedure for examining and removing polyps from the colon, was introduced in the late 1960's. This procedure uses endoscopic technology to capture and remove polyps from the colon or large intestine. Typically a physician inserts an endoscopic snare, such as a sharp edged or conductive loop, into the colon, and fits the loop over the head of the polyp. The physician then cuts or burns through the base of the polyp with the loop. The physician may capture the severed polyp using suction, baskets, nets, etc. While the prior techniques have proven effective, conventional snares cannot always fit over relatively large polyps, making it difficult, if not impossible, to use conventional endoscopic procedures to remove such relatively large polyps.